The present invention relates to roasting pans and apparatus and more particularly to a cooking system for cooking one or more food items that includes a pan having a bottom surface from which a vapor forming tube extends, the vapor forming tube having a liquid retaining cavity for retaining a volume of a vapor forming liquid therein and a vapor release opening for releasing vapor formed from vapor forming liquids retained within the liquid retaining cavity when the vapor forming tube is subject to heat from a cooking appliance; a food item support structure securable to the vapor forming tube in a manner such that a food item supported by the food item support structure is partially exposed to vapor emitted from the vapor release opening of the vapor forming tube; and a kabob/basting structure having a food item support platform positionable over the vapor forming tube, a number of spaced kabob/basting material supports radiating outwardly and rigidly connected to the food item support platform, and a food item support platform support structure adapted for maintaining the food item support platform above a bottom surface of the bottom surface of the pan and to be positionable in connection with a food item to be cooked and in connection with the vapor forming tube in a manner such that a number of the spaced kabob/basting material supports are maintained above a section of the food item to be cooked such that basting material held on the number of the spaced kabob/basting material supports may drip down onto a portion of the food item to be cooked.
There are many cooking methods that may be used to cook meat type food items, such as poultry, while also cooking other food items such as vegetables, potatoes, etc. One particularly desirable method of cooking poultry is to provide an open-topped, liquid filled container, positioning the open-topped, liquid filled container into the body cavity of the bird to be cooked and to then cook the bird, such as by roasting in an oven, smoking on a barbeque, or other cooking method, while the bird is supported such that the open topped container is maintained in a vertical orientation. Because it may be difficult to maintain the bird in such a position during the entire cooking process, it would be desirable to have a cooking system adapted for such a cooking process. Because poultry cooked in the above manner often benefits from basting during the cooking process, it would be a further benefit to have such a cooking system that also included a structure for holding basting materials, such as chunks of fat, slices of bacon, etc. so that as the basting material dripped, the drips would fall onto the bird being cooked to provide an automatic basting mechanism.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a cooking system that includes a pan having a bottom surface from which a vapor forming tube extends, the vapor forming tube having a liquid retaining cavity for retaining a volume of a vapor forming liquid therein and a vapor release opening for releasing vapor formed from vapor forming liquids retained within the liquid retaining cavity when the vapor forming tube is subject to heat from a cooking appliance; a food item support structure securable to the vapor forming tube in a manner such that a food item supported by the food item support structure is partially exposed to vapor emitted from the vapor release opening of the vapor forming tube; and a kabob/basting structure having a food item support platform positionable over the vapor forming tube, a number of spaced kabob/basting material supports radiating outwardly and rigidly connected to the food item support platform, and a food item support platform support structure adapted for maintaining the food item support platform above a bottom surface of the bottom surface of the pan and to be positionable in connection with a food item to be cooked and in connection with the vapor forming tube in a manner such that a number of the spaced kabob/basting material supports are maintained above a section of the food item to be cooked such that basting material held on the number of the spaced kabob/basting material supports may drip down onto a portion of the food item to be cooked.
Accordingly, a cooking system is provided. The cooking system includes a pan having a bottom surface from which a vapor forming tube extends, the vapor forming tube having a liquid retaining cavity for retaining a volume of a vapor forming liquid therein and a vapor release opening for releasing vapor formed from vapor forming liquids retained within the liquid retaining cavity when the vapor forming tube is subject to heat from a cooking appliance; a food item support structure securable to the vapor forming tube in a manner such that a food item supported by the food item support structure is partially exposed to vapor emitted from the vapor release opening of the vapor forming tube; and a kabob/basting structure having a food item support platform positionable over the vapor forming tube, a number of spaced kabob/basting material supports radiating outwardly and rigidly connected to the food item support platform, and a food item support platform support structure adapted for maintaining the food item support platform above a bottom surface of the bottom surface of the pan and to be positionable in connection with a food item to be cooked and in connection with the vapor forming tube in a manner such that a number of the spaced kabob/basting material supports are maintained above a section of the food item to be cooked such that basting material held on the number of the spaced kabob/basting material supports may drip down onto a portion of the food item to be cooked.